Islamabad:
Leading meteorologists raise red flags over the growing abuse of the term “cloudburst” in Pakistan’s media and public discourse.
According to experts who randomly feel each episode of intense monsoon rain as cloudburst, not only spreads unnecessary fear, but also undermines the seriousness of real warnings.
Officials emphasize that a cloudburst is a rare and scientifically defined phenomenon, triggered by orographic effects in the atmosphere-when moisture-loaded air is quickly lifted over mountainous terrain, causing sudden, extremely heavy rain over a small located area.
In contrast, the widespread rainfall that currently beats Swat, Buner, Chitral and parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, are serious, but not technical cloudbursts.
Director General of PMD, Mahr Sahibzad Khan said the term “cloudburst” is often abused and this leads to confusion.
“A cloudburst is very different from heavy rain. We gave early warnings a month before the beginning of the monsoon and specifically intimated on June 23.
Mahr Sahibzad Khan explained that the PMD issue of timely forecasts through a multi-layer system-first warnings in a month in advance, after which I update when Monsoon Systems crosses central India and enters Sindh and northern Pakistan. Before any harsh weather, the department also releases a nowcast-one very located, three hours of prognosis for the purpose of guiding local administrations and the public. “These forecasts are only useful if people take them seriously,” he said, adding that PMD’s forecasting equipment is calibrated annually in winter to maintain precision. Chief -Meteorologist Dr. AFZAL remembered that a real skyburst once hit Islamabad in 2001, when 600mm of rain fell within 10 hours – a scale that was not seen since. He urged the public to respect official warnings: “Avoid going outside in extreme weather and planning outdoor activities according to forecasts.”
When he highlighted the human dimension, DG KHAN praised the efforts of Qurat-Ul-Ain Wazir, then further Deputy Commissioner of Nowshera, who drove door to door during previous floods to persuade families to evacuate. “That’s the level of seriousness we need in disaster action,” he noted.
Asma Jwad Hashmi, director of the National Agromet Center, also issued a message to the population of flooding areas: “Become aware of the weather by checking forecasts regularly. Consciousness and timely care measures are the first line of defense.”
Officials also drawn attention to climate change and noted that warmer air carries more moisture, making monsoon patterns more erratic and dangerous. They referred to global examples of deadly cloudbursts in Uttarakhand (India), Ladakh and even parts of Europe, emphasized that Pakistan should prepare for similar extreme weather events.
